MARCH. 83 



MEETINGS AT WORTOX COTTAGE. 



OcR readers will have observed a notice respecting these intended 

 meetings repeated several times on the second page of our cover. 

 A line or two will explain the object we have in view in their esta- 

 blishment. 



A great many seedlings reach us during the season. We reside 

 in a neighbourhood easUy reached by railway, and aboundinsr with 

 intelligent nurserymen, amateurs, and gardeners. It has occurred 

 to us, that if all seedling varieties can be posted or sent so as to 

 reach us on the Wednesday morning of each week, many would attend, 

 and, bringing with them some of the best varieties in cultivation, the 

 seedlings would be tested against them under the most favourable 

 circumstances. We are amongst those who believe that the tests 

 cannot be too severe to which seedlings are subjected, and that in 

 no place can they be more fairly judged than under glass, side by- 

 side with their predecessors ; or if they are objects of out-door cul- 

 tivation, in the open clear air of the country. We are willing to try; 

 and the result will soon determine how far our opinion in favour of 

 the utility of these meetings is correct or not. But we must urge 

 our seedling-raising friends to keep before them a memorandum to 

 post all productions for opinion so as to reach us on Wednesday 

 morning, /ree of all charges. If articles arrive with any expense on 

 them, thev will not be noticed. 



PLANTS FOR VASES. 



Last season we were particularly struck with the very beautiful selec- 

 tion and arrangement of plants in the vases placed in front of the 

 Palm-house at Kew. These vases are of iron, thoroughly painted stone- 

 colour ; and however objectionable a material iron may be for the 

 purpose, on account of its continued tendency to rust, nothing could 

 be more beautiful for a length of time than the group of flowers in 

 question, shewing that it is not entirely unsuitable. Mr. Allen, the 

 foreman of the flower-garden department, has favoured us with the 

 following memorandum. "They were filled in the month of June 

 with the undernamed plants ; the tallest were placed in the centre, 

 and the colours mixed as I would do in making up a lady's bouquet : 

 the plants were not selected for the purpose ; theV were some left 

 over after filling the flower-beds. 



"Geraniums — Prince of Orange; Frogmore, scarlet; Tom 

 Thumb, scarlet ; 'V'ariegated scarlet. Petunias — Xyctaginiflora, 

 white ; Ageratum mexicanum, blue, and A. album, white ; Salvia 

 patens, blue ; Calceolaria amplexicaulis and rugosa, yellow ; ^'er- 

 benas — Defiance, scarlet ; Barkerii, scarlet ; Emma, purple ; Ava- 

 lanche, white." 



